Navigating the Future of Indoor Location Services: Our Insights from the 2024 Gartner® Critical Capabilities for Indoor Location Services Report

In the ever-evolving market of indoor location services, innovative solutions are essential for maintaining a competitive edge. The 2024 Gartner report, Critical Capabilities for Indoor Location Services, reviews vendor offerings against typical use cases. Vertical market use cases vary, requiring a platform that can collect and use the best location data to meet the needs of each scenario. I&O leaders should use this research to shortlist products to meet key use cases for indoor location services.”

We think that Ubisense offers a highly flexible and robust offering and high rankings across various categories. We believe the capabilities of the Ubisense system align closely with market demands and reinforce a position as a leader in the industry.

Key Capabilities and Market Requirements Reviewed

Mobile Asset Tracking: Devices that attach to or integrate within assets to communicate data for location determination.
Location Engine: Software that can be deployed on-premises, on an edge computing platform, or in the cloud.
Application for Firmware and OS Updates: Tools that provide updates to all components of the solution.
Operational Monitoring: Applications that monitor and report on the operational status of asset tags, including battery life and other critical metrics.

Indoor location solutions utilize various radio frequency technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Ultra-Wideband (UWB), along with optical sensors and image analytics. These technologies enable accurate tracking and monitoring of assets and personnel within diverse environments.

Indoor location systems must be able to scale from small offices and retail stores to large enterprises, hospitals, and stadiums. Moreover, these solutions need to integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure and third-party systems, providing comprehensive location data that can be used for various applications, including safety, security, and operational efficiency.

Ubisense Innovative Solutions

The Ubisense SmartSpace software platform and Dimension4 hardware sensors deliver unparalleled real-time location tracking with centimeter-level accuracy. This combination supports multiple verticals, including automotive, transportation, and military industries. SmartSpace is capable of receiving location feeds from multiple sources, including passive RFID, BLE, UWB, and computer vision, making it a versatile solution for various use cases.

One of the standout features of the Ubisense offering is its sensor-agnostic platform, which can calculate locations using a variety of sensing technologies. This flexibility allows organizations to deploy Ubisense solutions in complex environments where different frequencies and technologies are needed to achieve optimal accuracy and performance. For instance, the Ubisense platform supports people tracking with UWB sensors and mobile devices, leveraging BLE and/or VLC.

Additionally, Ubisense solutions offer robust integration capabilities. The platform has open APIs and supports industry-standard protocols to enable seamless integration with third-party systems such as ERP, manufacturing execution systems (MES), and warehouse management systems (WMS). This interoperability ensures that Ubisense solutions can be easily adopted and scaled within existing infrastructure, providing organizations with the flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.

Advantages and Market Position

We believe the ability to ‘nest’ multiple technologies together, including in a single tag device, to provide configurable levels of granularity at a given cost point gives Ubisense an advantage over competitors in this market. In addition, the capability to support industrial applications where ruggedized UWB tags are necessary for harsh environments help further differentiate the Ubisense solution.

The Ubisense commitment to innovation is evident in the continuous development of new features and enhancements. For example, the company’s integration of machine learning and Kalmen filtering algorithms into its location engine improves the accuracy and reliability of its tracking solutions by removing errors from huge volumes of raw coordinate data. These advancements ensure that Ubisense remains at the forefront of the indoor location services market, delivering cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of its customers.

With the flexibility to integrate with any third-party system, such as data clouds, IoT platforms, and ERP and warehouse management systems, further enhances the potential value of deploying a Ubisense solution. Open APIs and industry-standard protocols facilitate seamless integration, ensuring that Ubisense solutions can be easily adopted and scaled within existing infrastructure.

Conclusion

By offering versatile, accurate, and integrable location tracking solutions, Ubisense looks well-positioned to meet the diverse needs of modern enterprises.

For a detailed overview of the market and to read the full report, please visit Gartner official report.

Gartner, Critical Capabilities for Indoor Location Services, By Tim Zimmerman, Annette Zimmermann, 2 April 2024

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.